Collecting Vintage Radios

One of the first things that I ever sold on eBay was a vintage radio that had been sitting around the house for a long time.  I had picked it up at an auction in Buffalo and although I was not a newbie to buying and selling antique and vintage items, it was the first time that I had sold anything to anyone outside of the old neighborhood.  For a few years after that, I went into a frenzy; scouring flea markets, estate sales, yard and garage sales in search of more vintage radios and then rotary phones that I could sell on eBay.

I sold working and non-working antique and vintage radios that were made by all of the top companies including Philco, Westinghouse, Sylvania, Zenith and Emerson.  They were made from molded plastic, Bakelite and in some cases wood.  There were tube radios and transistorized models, cathedral shaped, futuristic and many clean-line modern.  I sold all types of radios to all types of people around the country, but they all had one thing in common, the love for nostalgia and the beauty of the vintage radio.

Alas, as eBay and other collectibles websites grew, the market for vintage radios, like all other vintage and antique items got flooded.  Most collectors were able to get pickier; they wanted only working radios, in good condition for the lowest possible price.  Very few wanted the non-working radios with blemishes, which could be fixed but would take time.  Additionally, the supply dried up as more and more people grew delusional with their prices; and priced themselves right out of the market.

One time I sold a Zenith 514, also known as an owl eye radio alarm clock from the mid-1950s, for $180.  Recent sales of the same radio on eBay range from $15 for a regular Bakelite model to $55 for a “rare” pink colored radio.  A green colored working radio went unsold with a price tag of $55.

Antique & Vintage Bicycles Bring Flood of Memories

Like many people, I remember my very first bike. We were living in Vineland, New Jersey and I was in first grade at the time. My brother in law, who was a wiz at all things mechanical, purchased a used Schwinn bike for me. He made it look very nice by spray painting it black and white and the wheels were those thick knobby type with the white walls. Thinking about it brought back some awesome memories of my younger days flying down the street in front of little house on Elmer Street, with my brother in law and sister looking on. But what actually spurned these memories was an article that I read online the other day about a vintage bike shop.

Landmark Vintage Bicycles in New York City has a wide array of restored vintage bicycles made by the legendary Schwinn and Raleigh companies. According to a company profile, Landmark is owned by Chung Pai who is a bicycle enthusiast himself. Most of his clientele are not professional cyclists, but people like me, with nostalgia on their mind; People drawn to all things old and antique and to bicycles that remind us of our youth, with curvy lines, big whitewall tires and the little bell on the handlebars. I don’t remember whatever happened to the old bike, but I sure wish I would have kept it.

Prices for an antique or vintage bike can range from a few dollars for one that is not restored, to thousands of dollars for bikes that have been fully restored to their original condition. At Landmark Vintage Bicycles, old bikes are going for anywhere from $175 to over $1000 for an antique, 1930, Bridgestone bicycle. Each of the bikes in the shop is restored to their original condition and they also sell a wide array of accessories consistent with the time periods. The Schwinn Stingray bike pictured on the right recently sold on eBay for more than $700.

David Beckham’s Booty Found on eBay

Published reports say that two people working as housekeepers in the David and Victoria Beckham household, as well as the housekeeper’s son were arrested earlier today after memorabilia and other booty was found on eBay. Other staff members at the Beckham’s residence were suspicious of the help’s son because he hung around the residence and was not actually employed there. They told Victoria’s parents, who in turn found the memorabilia on the online auction site. Apparently, the help spent a lot of time not only at the Beckham’s official residence, but they also spent time in the couple’s holiday home in France. Missing from the home and found on the eBay online auction site according to reports were dresses belonging to Victoria and a lot of soccer memorabilia from soccer icon, David Beckham.

The investigation is continuing to determine if any other items were stolen from either the main residence or the holiday residence and eBay has pledged to help with the investigation and to help prosecute the offenders. What gets me is that these alleged thieves were pretty dumb to have thought that no one would look on eBay for the booty. One of the first places investigators now look for stolen antiques and memorabilia is on online auction sites. Investigators know that in most of these cases, the crooks are in it for a quick buck and will want to turn the items over quickly. Before the rise of the Internet and auction sites like eBay, the first place investigators would look was in local pawn shops and antiques stores. Now, a thief can steal something and sell it half way across the world.

Chinese Snuff Bottles – A Brief History & Value

Towards the mid-27th Century, when snuff was first introduced in China, it was believed that it had medicinal qualities and was used to treat the common cold, relieve sore throats, alleviate tooth aches and used as a cure for migraine headaches. Snuff however was not intended nor was it used for all the people of China, but was limited in use and availability to the upper echelons of society. It was mainly used by the elite peoples associated with the Qing Dynasty and the royal court of Beijing. As such, vessels to carry the snuff otherwise known as snuff bottles and or snuff boxes had to be attractive, ornately designed and beautiful to go with one’s social standing.

Snuff bottles are made of a many different materials, shapes, sizes and design. Some of the early snuff bottles are made of ivory, jadeite and even gold. Some were made of coral and other unusual material. However, a lot of snuff bottles were made of glass and because of the medicinal properties of the snuff probably had their beginnings in the apothecary bottles of the time. Many of the snuff bottles were made to fit in the palm one’s hand and had a stopper with a small spoon attached for easy access to the snuff. Many were marked with either maker’s name or a date.

The pictured example of a marked Chinese Imperial snuff bottle was recently sold at Quinn’s Auction Galleries in Falls Church, Virginia for $146,250. However, caution has to be taken when purchasing these types of antiquities because of the many reproductions and unscrupulous dealers around the world. A recent search of eBay for Chinese snuff bottles found close to 800 listings, many of them selling for ninety nine cents. The 19th Century white carved jade snuff bottle in the form of two figures sold on eBay for over $1,900.

Michael Phelps Trading Card Value Soars II

Yesterday morning I wrote about the value of Michael Phelps Trading Cards. Yesterday evening prices realized on eBay for a Michael Phelps trading card surpassed every speculators estimate with one card selling for over $2550. The card was an Upper Deck signed and numbered trading card from 2004. In addition, other Michael Phelps memorabilia have also been commodities on the online auction site including an autographed Olympic ticket that sold for $1575 and autographed swimming caps as well as another set of signed cards that sold for $1500.

What a difference eBay has made in our lives. We no longer have to wait to see what an item will be worth, instant gratification. Can you imagine if computers, the Internet and eBay had been around when Wilt Chamberlain hit his 100th point in one game for the Philadelphia Warriors in 1962? How about when Babe Ruth hit his 60th home run in 1927 or when Rocky Marciano retired from the boxing ring as the heavyweight champion in 1955 without a defeat? Although value would have been relative in those days, what would their trading cards have been worth on eBay?

C & M Antiques Barred From Selling American Flags by eBay

News organizations were reporting yesterday that a Waterbury, Connecticut antiques and collectibles dealer was barred from selling vintage American flags on the online auction giant eBay. Mark Albino who owns C & M Antiques and Collectibles in Waterbury had sold between 75 and 100 vintage flags on eBay over the past five years and the flags, depending on vintage, condition and desirability, can bring in anywhere from $50 to $500. What got him into trouble was that he decided to sell the flags internationally but yet exclude certain countries and or states. His listings included the following caveat, “Please note that this flag is not for sale to anyone residing in any country in the Middle East, France or the State of California . . . or to any person in any country not allied to the USA.” Although eBay and maybe others may not see it that way, I agree with and God Bless Mark Albino.

According to articles eBay basically said that a seller cannot choose to sell internationally and then randomly choose countries to be excluded. The representative was quoted as saying, “you either sell your items to international bidders or you don’t.” However, Mark has been selling merchandise and vintage flags on eBay for the past 5 years. Why all of a sudden is eBay now enforcing this rule? And why can’t he choose which countries he will sell his flags to . . . because eBay says so? What a bunch of baloney. eBay, a powerful, AMERICAN, company should make it easier for sellers to be able to choose which countries our flags go to. Mark is right, we as a country should not be selling flags to individuals in countries where they may use them for anything other than to honor America and our people. I would rather see eBay tackle the exorbitant shipping and handling fees that some dealers try to charge than to bother with such an honorable cause as this.

Maxwell Parrish - Photo-Realistic Paintings

One of the best known and most preferred collectible artists of the early Twentieth Century is Maxwell Parrish. He is best known as a master in photo-realistic paintings genre. His painting “Daybreak” sold in 1996 for more than $4 million. Parrish was so popular in the 1920’s that it has been estimated that one of his prints adorned a quarter of all American homes.

Parrish prints are a hot commodity even today. The print on the left titled, “Boy on a Swing,” in its original frame was recently sold on eBay for just over $182. Other collectible works by this artist include the calendars that he created for Edison Mazda and illustrations that he created for different publications in his younger days. Mr. Parrish was born in 1870 in Philadelphia, Pennsylvania, retired in 1960, and passed away in 1966.

NOVA-Antiques Newsletter Archives August 18, 2005 . . . .